Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle will take part in a fundraising edition of Def Comedy Jam CREDIT: Getty Images

Def Comedy Jam is set to return for a one-off special to raise money for coronavirus relief efforts.

The comedy event, dubbed Def Comedy Jam: Healing Through Laughter, will take place tonight (April 5) and will be live-streamed on Facebook and Twitch from 10pm ET (3am GMT).

The event will feature some big names including Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle, Mike Epps, Chris Tucker and more. Speaking to AllHipHop.com, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons said: “We’re producing a show, a lot of technology, and to put it on Instagram, and we want to raise money for tools for essential workers.

“People don’t realize how important masks are. And people are delivering food to the homeless, and to the elderly, people working in the pharmacy, people are riding the bus. They’re not being talked about, but they’re spreading the virus.”

He continued: “The point I’m making is that there’s a lot of people who are being overlooked and who are working to save our community, risking their lives, and they need the tools. So we’re going to raise money.”

Simmons said 100 percent of the profits from the event would go to essential workers and people in underprivileged communities, with the focus on Queens, Brooklyn and Philadelphia’s Logan area.